scarletwoman
scarletwoman's JournalHit them in the bank account - list of corporate campaign donors to the Coup Caucus Senators:
Corporate America should defund the Republican party
Rick Newman · Senior Columnist
Mon, January 4, 2021
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American capitalism works because rules, laws and customs dominate. Buyers and sellers in virtually every transaction know what to expect and have legal recourse if the other side cheats. Contracts force everybody to abide by predictable norms. There are flaws, but enforceable rules make the system better for everybody: Big firms, small businesses, workers and consumers.
Trump and his Republicans conspirators trying to overturn Biden’s win are saying, just this once, let’s break the rules. No biggie.
But it is a biggie. These Republicans are endorsing Venezuela-style ad hockery to keep their group in power illegitimately. Markets seem to be writing off the GOP insurgency as political shenanigans that are just for show. It’s way worse than that. The former “law and order” party has morphed into a crime and disorder party that cannot be business-friendly if its only priority is to retain power at any cost. This is a metastasis of the crony capitalism Trump has practiced for the last four years. It rewards only those on the winning side, while punishing those who play by the rules.
The many businesses that keep politicians in power by funding their campaigns should stop donating to any candidate who doesn’t overtly support the rule of law, in business and politics, both. Here’s a starter list of the 12 seditious senators who want to overturn Biden’s election, along with some of the top corporate donors for each, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. There’s no simple list of corporate donors to politicians, because companies donate to both campaign committees and political action committees that campaign on behalf of a favored politician. Some “dark money” donations aren’t even public. This list represents a combination of corporate donations to PACs and companies with the employees who donated the most to each candidate.
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee: Top donors: HCA, Southwest Family of Companies, FedEx, AT&T, Comcast
Mike Braun, Indiana: Jasper Engines & Transmissions, Reyes Holdings, Alliance Coal, Eli Lilly, Wabash Valley Produce
Ted Cruz, Texas: Woodforest National Bank, Lockheed Martin, Berkshire Hathaway, Sullivan & Cromwell, Delta Air Lines, Insperity, Stewart Title Guaranty
Steven Daines, Montana: Charter Communications, Langlas & Associates, Amgen, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway, FedEx, United Parcel Service
Josh Hawley, Missouri: Diamond Pet Foods, Emerson Electric, Herzog Contracting, Hunter Engineering, Charles Schwab Corp, Edward Jones, Alliance Coal
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin: Northwestern Mutual, Foley & Lardner, Koch Industries, ABC Supply, Honeywell, AT&T Jenmar Corp., Elliott Management, CSX
John Kennedy, Louisiana: Acadian Ambulance Service, Atco Investment, Morris & Dickson, Amway/Alticor, Central Management, Ochsner Health System
James Lankford, Oklahoma: Koch Industries, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Honeywell, Cox Enterprises, Ernst & Young, Devon Energy, United Parcel Service, Berkshire Hathaway
Bill Hagerty, Tennessee: Rogers Group, Apollo Global Management, FedEx, HCA, Cerberus Capital Management, Hall Capital, International Paper
Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming: Sinclair Companies, San Francisco Giants, Occidental Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, Pinnacle West Capital
Roger Marshall, Kansas: Burns & McDonnell, Nuterra Capital, Poet LLC, Watco Companies, Bukaty Companies, Goldman Sachs, Spirit Aerosystems, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Tommy Tuberville, Alabama. Hometown Lenders, Drummond Co., Wellborn Cabinet, Collazo Enterprises, Proshot Concrete
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There is no longer a business-friendly Republican party. The criminal attempts to prevent Biden from taking office are really a scramble among ambitious Republicans to claim the Trump base as their own in future elections, and keep feeding these voters the nativist lies and reckless populism that earned Trump four years in office. Business lobbies that support Republicans today are asking for more Trumpian chaos, which could backfire as the party rampages toward extremism and marginalization.
It's well worth it to read the whole piece at the link.
Nope, not a good idea.
First of all, why muddy the event by tossing more shit into the mix?
Our best bet is to leave this solely to the repugs and let them make asses of themselves in clear view of the country.
As another poster pointed out in this thread, adding Dem objections to the event just feeds the "both sides" narrative - something that would be absolutely counter-productive.
Far more effective would be to allow the Civil Rights division of the Biden Justice Department take on the issue of voter suppression. Congress itself could also mount their own investigations that can proceed carefully over time, instead of a rushed one-day show.
Congress can also explore what may be possible in crafting legislation to improve election processes and systems throughout the country.
Let the repugs have their dog-and-pony show on January 6. Then the Dems can get to work in a serious and sober manner going forward.
Sorry, that's incorrect.
Dems had a 60-vote filibuster proof majority in the Senate for only 4 months, from September 24, 2009 until February 4, 2010.
See: https://www.beaconjournal.com/article/20120909/NEWS/309099447
The 59 number in January, 2009 included Ted Kennedy and Al Franken. Kennedy had a seizure during an Obama inaugural luncheon and never returned to vote in the Senate.....and Al Franken was not officially seated until July 7th, 2009 (hotly contested recount demanded by Norm Coleman.)
The real Democratic Senate seat number in January, 2009 was 55 Democrats plus 2 Independents equaling 57 Senate seats.
Then in April, 2009, Republican Senator Arlen Specter became a Democrat. Kennedy was still at home, dying, and Al Franken was still not seated. Score in April, 2009....Democratic votes 58.
In May, 2009, Robert Byrd got sick and did not return to the Senate until July 21, 2009. Even though Franken was finally seated July 7, 2009 and Byrd returned on July 21.....Democrats still only had 59 votes in the Senate because Kennedy never returned, dying on August 25, 2009.
Kennedy’s empty seat was temporarily filled by Paul Kirk but not until September 24, 2009.
The swearing in of Kirk finally gave Democrats 60 votes (at least potentially) in the Senate. “Total control” of Congress by Democrats lasted all of 4 months. From September 24, 2009 through February 4, 2010...at which point Scott Brown, a Republican, was sworn in to replace Kennedy’s Massachusetts seat.
The truth....then....is this: Democrats had “total control” of the House of Representatives from 2009-2011, 2 full years. Democrats, and therefore, Obama, had “total control” of the Senate from September 24, 2009 until February 4, 2010. A grand total of 4 months.
"Last Minute Bid To Woo Undecided Voters" - no, that's not what they're doing.
It's a show of force meant to intimidate and discourage the opposition: "See how many of us there are? See how powerful we are? You can't win against us."
It's a declaration of war.
Here's a partial list of all the assaults he's made on the environment, just in 2017:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/08/24/what-trump-has-undone/Blocked the Clean Power Plan. The plan implemented under Obama focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. In October, The Post reported that the administration would seek to repeal it entirely.
Suspended a rule limiting methane leaks from drilling on federal land. Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Ended a study on the health effects of mountaintop-removal mining. The process involves blasting away the tops of hills and mountains to get at coal seams under the surface.
Rescinded a rule mandating that rising sea levels be considered when building public infrastructure in flood-prone areas.
Reversed an Obama ban on drilling for oil in the Arctic.
Announced a reduction in the scale of several national monuments. In April, Trump signed an executive order ordering a review of monuments added in the past 20 years, opening up the possibility that some areas previously set aside would have that status revoked. Last month, Trump announced plans to reduce the size of two, one after lobbying from a uranium company.
Ignored a deadline to implement a rule regulating smog.
Withdrew a rule regulating fracking on public land.
Announced plans to reconsider controversial protections for the sage grouse in western states. The bird’s habitat has been reduced as sagebrush has been removed in places that are being developed, often for oil and grass drilling. While not officially endangered, conservation groups worry about the sage grouse’s fate.
Postponed an EPA rule that would have had chemical plants better evaluate and inform the public about possible safety issues. This decision, made in June, drew new attention after Hurricane Harvey flooding led to an explosion at a facility near Houston.
Rejected a proposed ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos. The month after this decision, a group of farmworkers were sickened by exposure to the chemical.
Reversed a ban on plastic bottles at national parks.
Repealed a ban on lead bullets. The bullets were banned under Obama because the lead can poison wildlife.
Rescinded a limit on the number of sea animals that can be trapped or killed in fishing nets.
Delayed and potentially rolled back automotive fuel efficiency standards.
Began repeal of a rule that would weaken emissions standards for some truck components.
Repealed the Waters of the United States rule. This rule expanded the definition of water bodies that were protected by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Ended a rule banning dumping waste from mining into streams.
Reversed a rule banning hunting bears and wolves. The ban applied to federal refuges in Alaska and prohibited hunting predators using certain methods.
Repealed a rule that would have overhauled the federal land management process.
Removed more than a dozen academics from the EPA’s Scientific Advisory Board.
Removed a bike-sharing station at the White House.
There has been much more in the years since - including today's announcement about opening up the Tongass to logging - but I don't have a handy list in one place, sad to say.
I imagine there are other people/organizations keeping track - I hope!
So much bullshit!
First of all, the plan to discontinue funding the Stars & Stripes was in Trump's DOD budget and was known in January/February - and was portrayed (absurdly) as a needed bit of belt-tightening. But the real reason may have been to divert those funds to Space Force.
Personally, I also think it could be a good bet that something published in the Stars & Stripes offended him. Plus, this is also of a piece with the Trump administration's ongoing program of destroying the independence of all government institutions, in order to convert them all into vehicles of personal loyalty to him.
In any case, it really didn't make much sense - a measly $15.5 million out of the billions and billions that go into the Pentagon budget?
So, was it all just a head fake from the get-go, in order to provide a kabuki theater moment for trump to ride to the rescue?
Steve Schmidt Calls Trump 'The Second President Of The Confederacy' Deadline MSNBC
Seriously, must watch!
The sane news media in this country could do us all a huge favor by simply adding the parenthetical
statement: ( ANTIFA stands for "anti-fascist" ) every time they use "antifa" in a news story and/or opinion piece.
I think one of the reasons that the right wing gets away with so much bullshit scare-mongering about antifa is that millions of non-political Americans have no idea what the word actually means. It sounds kind of foreign-ish, sinister, possibly Middle Eastern.
It just seems like a small thing that could possibly make a significant impact on the political discourse in this country.
U.S Attorney: Man charged in connection to arson at Third Precinct (Minneapolis)
Source: KSTP 5 Eyewitness News
KSTP
Updated: June 08, 2020 05:18 PM
Created: June 08, 2020 04:18 PM
A St. Paul man has been charged in connection to the arson at the Minneapolis Police Department's Third Precinct.
Monday, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced it charged 23-year-old Branden Michael Wolfe with aiding and abetting arson.
<snip>
When officers arrested Wolfe, he was wearing body armor and had a police duty belt with handcuffs, an earphone piece, a baton and knife.
When officers searched his home, they located a riot helmet, a 9mm pistol magazine, a police radio and an overdose kit.
The complaint says while in an interview with police, Wolfe admitted to being in the precinct. He told officers while in the third precinct, he pushed a wooden barrel into a fire, knowing it would help the fire continue to burn.
Read more: https://kstp.com/news/us-attorney-man-charged-in-connection-to-arson-at-third-precinct/5754093/
Frankly, I've thought all along that, in a lot of cases, it's going to turn out to be white guys from outside the community who were setting fires and vandalizing community businesses.
It never made sense to me that the real protesters from the community, marching against injustice, would go running amok wrecking their own stuff.
This is exactly what he has to say - REFORM, not defund. And it's how we have to say it, too.
We can't give an opening for the trumpists to claim that Dems want to get rid of cops and let lawlessness and anarchy rule our streets - because you know that's how they'll be painting it.
WE know what we mean by "defund the police" - but the actual meaning and intent behind that slogan are far too nuanced and complex for the closed minds who will instinctively react with fear and horror, imagining themselves being forced to live in a world of rampant crime with no law enforcement.
We do NOT want to scare off the suburban moms who have been edging away from trump.
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